These charming southern belles are best friends and are up for any challenge. They want to prove to the world that they’re not just cute blondes and that they can be athletic, cut-throat competitors.

Marisa is currently a broadcast journalism student at the University of South Carolina. She describes herself as ambitious, witty and spontaneous. Her extensive dance training has taught her to be focused and determined, skills that could help her to do well on the race.

Brooke is fascinated with other cultures and can’t wait to try out some of the Spanish she learned while living in Spain. She works as a graphic designer and enjoys traveling, painting and being outdoors. She believes that her take-charge attitude will be enough to get them through the rigors of the Race.

She and her best friend are certain this adventure will make them even better friends. And if they have to do a little flirting along the way, they’re not opposed to that either – whatever it takes to cross the finish line in first place.

Published: Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 3:15 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 9:06 a.m. Don't let the pink outfit and the Palmetto State-bred smile fool you

Marisa Axelrod is a 22-year-old Spartanburg native whom the world is about to witness in the biggest race of her life, and her family says the Southern belle has got the attitude she needs to win.

"To me it's going to be shocking (to others) because she's such a girly-girl," said mother Lori Axelrod. "She's sweet and caring, but at the same time competitive."

Axelrod and best friend Brooke Jackson, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Columbia, will compete in the upcoming installment of the reality show "The Amazing Race," set to premiere at 8 p.m. Sept. 28 on CBS.

The ladies will join 10 other teams who will travel more than 30,000 miles, spanning five continents. The 13th season of "Race" will feature a fistful of firsts, including teams traveling to what the show calls "a floating city." There are also stops at first-time "Race" destinations such as Cambodia and Kazakhstan.

At every location, each pair will have to compete in a series of mental and physical challenges and must overcome those challenges to learn their next destination.

Marisa Axelrod was unavailable for comment on Wednesday, but CBS representatives are permitting an interview today.

Lori Axelrod had never watched the reality show until her daughter auditioned, she said. But Marisa has been dancing at her grandmother's studio, Miss Marion's School of Dance in Spartanburg, since she was 3, and Alexrod said her daughter has the drive to do well.

"All her life, she's been in dance competitions, and that certainly helps," Lori Axelrod said. "Dancing gives you poise and confidence."

On the show's biography Web page, Axelrod contends her extensive dance training will help her be focused and determined during "Race."

Grandmother Marion Feinstein said no one was more taken aback by the trip than she was. She and Marisa share a close bond, but even Feinstein wasn't let in on the show secret. In April, Marisa told her family she was going to Paris for a school trip, Feinstein said.

"It was very hush-hush," she said. "There's no name calling me 'grandma' because Marisa and I are best friends. And wow, when I heard the news, I don't think anything in my life has been as exciting."

Axelrod is a broadcast journalism student at the University of South Carolina. She describes herself as "ambitious, witty and spontaneous."

Joining her at USC Columbia this year is little sister Shauna Axelrod, 18, of Spartanburg, who said she is inspired by her sister's experience.

"I think it's awesome," Shauna said. "Of course she's my older sis and I look up to her, but I've learned to take more risks and be outgoing (from watching her)."

Shauna said she plans to watch each episode at her sister's apartment in Columbia.

Gal pals Marisa and Brooke are competing, among other things, to be the first "Amazing Race" all-female team to take the $1 million prize. Marisa's mom thinks she's got what it takes.

"She's a go-getter," Axelrod said. "If she puts her mind to something, she'll do it full out."

So apparently, on Aug. 20th, Erik and Jamie from Survivor: China announced they are engaged! But heres the intresting thing...

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In a very related story, two of Dugan’s bridesmaids will be on the upcoming season of the Amazing Race. USC graduates Marisa Axelrod and Brooke Jackson will star in the 13th installment of the popular CBS show, which debuts Sept. 28.

aww thanks y'all!! I'd also like to thank you for keeping mine and Marisa's moms VERY entertained while we were gone! I think they lived on here

I hope we did not spoil the show for them Brooke well, too much. Your moms must have laughed at us trying to figure out which set of girls wore pink, which we're the blonds, and which set we're from Texas etc

Hello RFF!!!!First of all I want to say THANK YOU to RFF!!! I don't know what I would have done without this forum!!! Brooke and Marisa had been gone several days when I decided to google TAR13 and lo and behold I found this site! The first thing I read was 2 blondes in pink were spotted at LAX talking to cameramen on April 22 and I got sooo excited I didn't know what to do!! You didn't spoil a thing for us but I did get a kick out of ya'll trying to figure out what happened to the blondes because there were no pictures appearing of them. It was exciting following where they were even if we didn't know if they were still in the race or not! I wanted to post so bad but was afraid CBS might not like it! When Brooke and Marisa arrived back in Columbia the first thing I did was show them this site and we stayed up all night reading the posts! Ya'll are GOOD!! I was amazed that information was coming from sitings all over the world! You guys made the race so exciting for me while Brooke was gone! I think everyone will enjoy seeing Brooke and Marisa. They are such sweet girls and I think everyone will find the profile of cookie cutter blondes in pink very misleading. These are tough girls that had a blast but worked themselves to death! Thanks for helping this poor, worried mom get through the race!!!